USC Athletics was well represented last week at the campus community Spirits at Troy Halloween carnival. The Baseball and Women's Sand Volleyball teams showed up to share their evening with hundreds of local kids.

The event, coordinated by the USC Residential Student Government for the past decade, provides a safe trick-or-treat environment for the University's neighbors, and a fun Halloween activity for campus organizations. This year marked Baseball's third annual participation in the event and Sand Volleyball's first. Both teams hosted tables where children and families could partake in games and get their fill of sugary treats. From pitching baseballs at a net of ghosts to bumping volleyballs into a pumpkin, the athletes shared their love of sport and community.

The event ran from 4 PM- 7 PM and entertained children in costume dressed as a wide range of characters toting buckets ready to be filled. "My favorite part of the day was seeing the smiles on the children's faces when they won the games we provided. I could tell they had a lot of fun," said freshman baseball player Andrew Wright.

Another batch of athletes shared their Halloween spirit about a mile up the road, at the Hoover Recreation Center. As a part of Hoover's 15th annual Safe Halloween, student-athletes from Soccer, Volleyball, Water Polo, and Rowing dressed up to provide both tricks and treats to local kids. The day, planned in part by USC's Norman Topping Scholars, featured a haunted house, themed games, a costume contest, and, of course, candy.

"It's so important for these kids to have a safe place to celebrate Halloween," said M'Liss Causey, Recreation Facilities Director at Hoover. "And we couldn't do it without USC."

With Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas gift drives on the horizon, the athletes plan to continue sharing their holidays with the community.